


The Christmas Ghost

by Black_Dwarf



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Reggie Peters is a Molina (Julie and The Phantoms), Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Dwarf/pseuds/Black_Dwarf
Summary: One week before Christmas Ray makes a startling discovery regarding Julie's band.
Relationships: Ray Molina & Reggie Peters
Comments: 20
Kudos: 132
Collections: Kelly's Picks, Yuletide 2020





	The Christmas Ghost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SoVeryAverageMe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoVeryAverageMe/gifts).



> Huge thanks go out to (redacted) for all your support and for beta reading this story.

* * *

Work had been a nightmare for Ray these last few days. The typical pre-Christmas rush at the marketing firm but thankfully all of that would be over soon. Just one more week and he’d have plenty of time to spend with his family. 

“Julie? Carlos?” He stood in the doorway and looked around the empty living room. _That’s right_. He’d forgotten that Victoria had taken Carlos out for a movie. It was a Christmas tradition of theirs.

It used to be Julie would join as well but for the last few years Julie had preferred to spend the time with her best friend. After all Flynn and her parents would travel to visit family in New Orleans each Christmas and New Year’s which meant that Julie wouldn’t get to see her friend for two weeks. 

Seeing the house so empty Ray was painfully reminded of the loss he had suffered. It was true he had his children and he loved them dearly. But lately Julie was so busy with school and what little free time she had she tended to spend either with Flynn or her new ghost band.

He sometimes missed how it used to be.

The regular board game nights with Rose and the kids. Spending evenings with his wife just talking about their newests obsessions (in Rose’s case always the newest indie band she’d just discovered or a song she was writing). Just having someone here to share his time with.

He had felt rather alone for a while. In fact, he’d buried himself in his work more often than not because at least that way his mind would be focused on the task at hand, not the empty house, the abandoned studio or the piece of his heart that was now missing.

From upstairs he could hear voices, shaking him out of his reverie. It must be Julie and Flynn.

Ray moved over to the kitchen and unloaded the groceries into the cupboard. With Carlos out, there was plenty of food left if Flynn wanted to join them for dinner. He should probably ask if she had any preferences or if spaghetti would be fine. His own kids loved it. Could eat it practically every day even if Victoria disapproved. But Ray was definitely up for changing the menu if he could get Flynn on his side. 

As he walked up the stairs the voices grew more distinct. He had been right. It was definitely Flynn talking, but then he heard another voice.

A distinctly male one.

Ray frowned. It wasn’t like he forbade his daughter to befriend guys but he had made it clear that she at least introduced them to him first. And not have the bedroom door closed when they were around. Not that there were any as far as he knew.

Well except the three strange boys that Julie had befriended. Her hologram band. But Julie had explained that they didn’t live in the States. That she only contacted them via Skype and that they were in a different time zone which meant that Ray hadn’t had a chance of talking to them yet. 

But this particular voice didn’t come from any electronic device. He could tell as much. 

Ray knocked on the door to Julie’s room and turned the handle after he could hear his daughter’s rather squeaky “Come in.”

Ray opened the door and looked at the scene in front of him. Julie and Flynn were sitting on the bed cross legged. But they were not alone.

A boy stood balancing on Julie’s desk chair. He wore dark skinny jeans, a black tank top and had a checkered flannel shirt wrapped around his hips. He was also ignoring Ray’s presence like it was perfectly normal that he should be here. As if ignoring Ray would mean Ray wouldn’t be able to see him. _Unbelievable_.

“Mija.” Ray tried to put on his best disappointed dad face - the one Victoria had assured him only vaguely reminded her of a kicked golden retriever. “I thought I made it clear that you’d at least introduce them to me first before inviting boys over. And into your room, no less.”

Several things happened simultaneously. 

“You can see him?” Julie and Flynn exclaimed, speaking as one.

The boy whipped around, staring at Ray as if noticing him for the first time. The maneuver lost him his balance. He fell off the chair and vanished through the floor.

Silence settled in the room. Ray stared at the spot the boy had just _phased through_?

Julie and Flynn were still looking at Ray, their mouths hanging open. 

After several seconds of deathly quiet Ray finally managed to regain his composure. He cleared his throat. “Anyone mind explaining this to me? And please don’t say hologram.”

* * *

Ray looked at the article on the phone that Julie had shown him then back at the boy who now sat on the bed next to Julie and Flynn and was fiddling with the hem of his flannel nervously. His big eyes were fixed on Ray and he could see the panic and trepidation written on his face.

Ray felt for him and would have loved to make him feel more at ease. But currently he was a little too preoccupied wrapping his mind around the story that Julie had just told him. The story about where her mysterious boy band had come from. 

The fact that Julie’s _Phantoms_ weren’t a group of teenage guys from Sweden. That the phantoms were actually ghosts. It was hard to believe, to say the least.

And yet here he was staring at the photograph of the three boys that were the spitting image of both the boy in front of him and the other two that he’d seen Julie perform with. And the accompanying article that detailed their untimely tragic death twenty-five years ago. 

“Okay, I’ve changed my mind.” Ray croaked. “Please say holograms.”

Julie looked at her father with a mix of pity and sadness.

“I wish I could, dad.” 

“So..” Ray began again, looking at the boy whose expression reminded him so much of a trapped animal. “You’re Reggie?”

The boy nodded.

“And you’re..”

“Dead. Yes.” Reggie answered in a high pitched voice and stared down at his hands. 

“I think I need to sit down. And I need a drink. Not necessarily in that order.”

Ray was completely out of his depth. Truth be told he had thought Julie’s story about the three Swedish guys she’d met a little hard do swallow. In fact he’d been pretty sure that at least parts of her story were a lie because there were all these telltale signs that told him that his daughter wasn’t entirely truthful. 

Like the way she’d kept avoiding his eyes when she told him that they were from Sweden. Or how she was usually quick to change the subject whenever Ray had expressed a wish to talk to them. Ray had actually planned to insist on having a video call with the boys in the near future. Just to make completely sure that these guys weren’t a bad influence.

But the truth. The actual truth. Never in a million years could his mind have come up with something this crazy.

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.” Reggie had spoken up again. He was worrying at his bottom lip and looked close to crying. And once again Ray felt a pang of protectiveness well up in him.

He had no idea just why Julie’s friend was this anxious. It seemed to Ray that having to face death and coming back as a ghost should have been the biggest problem in Reggie’s life (well afterlife) not whether or not his friend was grounded for the rest of her teenage years for lying to her dad. Still, he felt like he should at least try to calm the poor guy down.

“Don’t worry.” Ray gave the boy a reassuring smile. “I’m not mad. I just..I need some time to process this whole _situation._ ” He gestured towards Reggie then back to the phone he was still holding. “Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? So you’re ghosts that showed up in my wife’s studio and that’s how you met Julie. And you can be seen when playing music. Where do you stay when you’re not playing? And how is it that _I_ can see you now?”

Ray didn’t fail to notice the worried glances that Julie, Reggie and Flynn exchanged. They were all so terrible at this keeping secrets thing that he wondered why it had taken this long for him to figure out the truth. He really hadn’t been paying attention.

“Well, Dad, pleasedon’tbemad,” Julie mumbled.

Ray raised an eyebrow and levelled his gaze at his daughter. “Why exactly would I be mad?”

“Because..well..the guys have been staying here. The studio I mean.” Julie added the last part quickly as she saw how her father’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. He was not the least bit amused about this last piece of information.

“They’ve been living in my house. And somehow you thought it wasn’t something that I should know?”

“Well dad, to be fair. Would you have believed it? And they haven’t been exactly _living_ here really. I mean they are _ghosts_.”

Okay Julie had a point there. Still, they would definitely have to discuss this further and set some boundaries. 

“And why can I suddenly see you. If you’ve been here all along?”

That last question was directed at Reggie but the boy just shrugged. Which kind of made sense. When Ray had entered earlier Reggie had clearly expected him not to be aware that Reggie was there. And he’d been just as surprised as Ray when he realized that he was visible. 

“So, do I get to meet the other guys then? If you’re going to stay here I’d at least like a formal introduction. And well we should establish some ground rules while we’re at it.”

Julie’s face lit up when she realized that her father would allow the boys to stay. Her smile was infectious and Ray couldn’t help but return it. 

“They can stay!” Julie rushed over and hugged her father tightly.

“Sure they can.” Ray replied softly. “What father would I be if I kicked your three friends out. One week before Christmas no less.”

Flynn had come over and joined in the hug. And so had Reggie. His hands wrapped around Julie’s shoulder which remained solid under his touch. It was a fact to be filed for later examination. But for now Ray was just glad he finally was in the know. Everything else would come with time.

* * *

As it turned out Ray wasn’t only able to see Reggie. He could also for reasons unknown see the other two guys in Julie’s band. The drummer, Alex and the boy on the guitar, Luke.

After introductions had been made Ray had officially welcomed them into the Molina household and established a few rules. No ghost boys in Julie’s room unless Ray was aware of it. No instant teleportation. They should just use the doorbell to announce their presence so as not to give Ray a heart attack. And the boys should occasionally come over to join them for family board games. 

Well the last one wasn’t exactly a rule, more a suggestion. Ray really loved board games and unfortunately neither Julie nor Carlos were all that enthusiastic about it. They played along to humor their dad but maybe having more people around would actually change their mind. 

And of course the big one, join the family for Christmas dinner.

Victoria would be there too so they would probably have to make up a story until Ray had time to properly introduce his sister in law to the guys. She was already convinced the house was haunted anyway so it shouldn’t be that big of a stretch to introduce the three ghost teenagers that were now apparently living under his roof. Still, that was a discussion he would have with Victoria after Christmas. He didn’t much fancy having an exorcist over for the holidays and his sister in law could be quite intense sometimes.

It was probably best to keep it from her as long as possible.

Ray was lost in contemplation while preparing the ingredients for dinner when he heard the doorbell ring. He walked to the door but before he could open it he saw Reggie walk through. It was a sight he’d probably never get used to. 

“Hey R--Julie’s dad.” The boy smiled at him a little shily. 

“That’s alright Reggie, just call me Ray. Can I help you with something?”

Reggie hesitated. “Well, actually. I just wanted to stay here for a little bit. Luke and Julie are working on their new song, Alex is out with his boyfriend. I guess I’m not really needed.” 

Ray looked at the boy. He sounded a little hurt. Like he felt left out.

Ray could relate. He’d felt like that constantly back in high school when he was Reggie’s age. It had taken him years to build up confidence. And in fact if Rose hadn’t made the first move he’d probably wouldn’t have had the courage to ask her out either. Even when he was already in his twenties.

And if Ray was entirely honest with himself he had also been feeling like that lately. With his kids growing up so fast and being busy with school, friends and their own hobbies.

His thoughts were interrupted when Reggie cleared his throat rather loudly.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” he apologized. “I guess I’ll just sit and read, if that's okay? Or do you want me to leave?”

“No, of course you can stay here. But, you know, I could use some help in the kitchen. If you want to?”

The boy’s shy smile grew into a full-fledged grin. His eyes sparkled. It was incredibly endearing. And they called Ray a golden retriever. Next to Reggie’s puppy dog eyes he was nothing. 

They spent the next two hours preparing dinner and Ray realized that Reggie was quite handy in the kitchen. The boy clearly knew what he was doing and Ray wondered what his home life must have been like.

Had Reggie been alone a lot? Did he have to cook for himself? Did he have any siblings? And where was his family now? Still, he didn’t want to pester the boy with questions. It couldn’t be an easy subject. 

“This is nice. I really like this,” Reggie said, more to himself than to Ray. It made Ray smile. 

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. 

“Say Reggie, have you been here before. In the kitchen?” 

Reggie’s cheeks turned pink. “M--aybe” he stuttered. 

“Because I kind of had a feeling someone was helping me. You know ingredients appearing out of thin air. Stove turned off when I was sure I’d left it on. Was that you?”

“I-I’m s-”

“You don’t have to be. I really appreciate it. Really, son, don’t worry about it. I’m happy you guys are here.”

Reggie stared at him. His mouth was agape, his eyes had grown impossibly wide and Ray was quite surprised at the reaction. What had he said to provoke this?

“Are you okay?” He moved his hand to touch Reggie’s shoulder but remembered last minute that it would just go straight through. Apparently Julie was the only one who could touch the guys. To everyone else including him they were incorporeal. 

“S-son. You called me that.” Reggie looked at him, completely in shock.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to be patronizing.”

“No..it’s just ...I--haven’t been called that in such a long time.” 

“I’m sorry. It must be hard losing your family.”

“Not really. They didn’t care about me.” 

Reggie’s statement came out rather forcefully and there was so much hurt behind that simple statement that it left Ray speechless. So that was it. Maybe he should have realized it sooner. The way the boy apologized for every little thing. His insecurities and his endearing gratitude when someone was willing to give him the time of day.

Reggie clearly hadn’t grown up in a happy nurturing home. Well, now he was part of Ray’s family and he would get the support and attention he deserved. 

“Listen Reggie. I’m here for you if you need to talk. And I’d love to have you around to help me prepare dinner. Or if you’d like to do something else like watch a movie maybe, we can do that as well. You guys are part of the Molina family now.”

“Oh.” Reggie stood in the kitchen, the knife he’d used to cut up onions slack in his hands. Then he suddenly came out of whatever trance he’d been in and a huge smile grew on his face. “I’d love that. How do you feel about Star Wars?”

“Love it.”

“I knew it!” Reggie exclaimed, then he added more softly, barely a whisper, “best dad ever.” 

Ray couldn’t help but smile.

So he had apparently acquired a ghost son. Not exactly what he’d expected to get for Christmas but he welcomed it all the same. 

* * *

On Christmas Eve the smell of delicious food was wafting through the house. While the main event with the whole family would be on the next day with a big roasted turkey and all the side dishes one could possibly dream of, Ray had decided to pull out all the stops for the Christmas Eve dinner to properly welcome the new additions to the household.

Even if his new extended ghost family regrettably wouldn’t be able to eat any of it. It was the thought that counted. At least he hoped so. 

Once again Reggie had been a big help in the kitchen and Ray had to admit that while he really liked all three ghost boys he was especially fond of the young bassist. There was just something so endearing and kind about him. And of the three boys it was primarily Reggie who sought out Ray’s company. 

Over the last few days Ray had spent quite a bit of time with Reggie and in that time he had learned a lot about Julie’s bandmate. 

For one, Reggie was surprisingly good at checkers, beating Ray at almost every game. He was also a huge fan of the original Star Wars Trilogy and Han Solo was his favorite character. Which was one of the reasons the young man tried his very best to ignore what had happened in the franchise in the past twenty-five years.

Ray had learned that Reggie had grown up without any siblings with parents that had been neglectful. Too caught up in their own never ending war with each other to pay any attention to their only child. And finally, Reggie had disclosed that he was fond of animals and had always wanted a puppy. Something to love and care for.

And this particular piece of information had given Ray an idea. 

Adopting an animal had been on the back of his mind for a while. But with Julie being busy with school, and spending all of her free time with Flynn and her band and Carlos being more interested in video games than anything else he’d dropped the idea a while ago. His job was keeping Ray incredibly busy and he simply didn’t have the time to care for an animal. But now they had three guys in the house with a lot of free time on their hand and very few obligations.

He’d have to discuss it with them first of course but somehow he was certain that the suggestion would be well received.

Ray smiled to himself and glanced over to Reggie who was stirring the pot with Ray’s homemade red posole, quietly humming to himself. And once again Ray marvelled at just how much his family’s life had changed over the past few months since the boys had appeared out of thin air.

Ray felt immense gratitude for whatever miracle had brought them here. And he knew that his wife would feel the same. If she could see them now. And who knew. Maybe wherever she was, she could. 

Their home had been quiet for so long. And now, finally, that silence had broken and laughter and music were once again echoing through the house. And it made all the difference in the world. 

* * *

  
  



End file.
